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Russian Baths in New York

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Not all of us can afford the luxury of traveling to Eastern Europe for a few glorious bathing sessions. Thankfully, we can enjoy all that the Russian Baths have to offer right here in our very own New York. Some truly replicate an authentic experience, while others are just faking it. Read our reviews to see what everyone is worth*.

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Neck Road Banya is the oldest Russian Bath (Banya) in Brooklyn. It is not the biggest or the most popular, and I can not say that it significantly excels in anything in particular when comparing to other good Russian Baths in New York. But overall it is currently my favorite Russian Bath in the city.

If anything, this bath excels in the management's talent to make the best out of every small detail. For example, the place had no space for another sauna around the pool so a few years ago they built one for men only behind the locker rooms. It is a huge hot Russian sauna where men can be traditionally naked. They keep the temperature in this sauna hotter and next to it men can hang out in a separate men-only area drinking beer and having long conversations - exactly like so many Russians used to do in the past. Creating the men-only area made the main pool area more family-friendly with less men, gentler heat in saunas, and more space for children to run around. Everyone wins, genius! If not forced by circumstances, this layout should have been designed originally.

The bath’s main hall is dominated by a full-sized swimming pool. The ceilings are relatively low giving the Bath a cozy feel. There are tables on two sides of the pool. On the opposite sides they have 3 saunas. The most popular Russian sauna has decent heat and is a great place for platza. The second - shvitz has faucets for cold water buckets. I visited the steam room with children, who usually are not particularly fond of the heat. This time they were very happy and busy playing with water and pouring it on themselves and everyone around while adults were sweating on the upper benches. The Turkish steam room is hot, foggy and clean - what else could you wish for?

The staff is the best I’ve ever encountered in any of the Russian Baths. Young, smiling, professional - the type of staff you expect to run into in a high end spa, or top restaurant, but you never get in a Russian Bath. Talking about the restaurant - fantastic! The restaurant has a hockey theme - the original owner was close to some famous Russian Players in the 80’s. Framed jerseys and memorabilia decorate the walls. The plates and glasses are super clean and look unexpectedly expensive, the beer is served in chilled glasses, soups are to die for and everything we’ve tried was very tasty. Note, it can get expensive quickly. We snacked more than ate, but for a family of four, the restaurant bill including 2 beers, a teapot and a tip was over $120.

As with any other Russian Banya in the city, on weekends Neck Road Bath gets crowded. I suggest coming earlier - the younger generation shows up later.

The place is not perfect, it is missing a cold plunge to jump into after a sauna - I wish they’d build it in the corner of the pool. It has no whirlpools, but that’s probably a plus - less chlorine in the air. Like in most Russian Baths there’s no attention paid to music to compliment the experience. And a simple bowl of eucalyptus leaves under the steam faucet in the Turkish room would cost nothing and would make the whole place smell heavenly. But, these are small details that do not distract from the fact that it is one of the best places I can imagine to spend half a day with or without kids. Just go if you want to see what Russian Baths are all about. And if you are new to Russian Baths, join a Russian Bath meetup where someone experienced would introduce you to all of it.

Mermaid Spa in Seagate, Brooklyn

Editor's Rating:

Pros: Authentic Russian bath, good kitchen

Cons: Remote even for Brooklyn, small steam room, crowded on weekends

Conclusion: Positively Recommended. One of the best Russian Baths in New York.

In 2004 Mermaid Spa in Seagate underwent $800,000 face-lift. In 2005 it burned down. In 2008 it reopened with very little change. Besides three Russian rooms the bath has a scorching dry sauna, a Turkish bath, two small tile pools that are machine-fed with chopped ice and a circular Jacuzzi inside a lodge-like wooden dining hall. The entire facility is finished with wood and slate. Owners Zina and Boris Kotlyar say they wanted to create an environment that was similar to an old style bania in Russia . "Marble is so cold, wood helps you feel warmer."

On a Friday evening this bath seems to attract a somewhat younger and hipper Russian crowd than more family oriented weekends. The quality of steam is great, but the Russian Steam room is small and becomes just too crowded on weekends. The crowd is 90% Russian, hence quite a lot of beer and vodka drinking is going on. The restaurant is great with authentic Russian dishes that you would not want to miss.

Be caferul not to let your children play in Jacuzzi for too long - they can get chemical burns (one of my friend kids did). Anyway Mermaid Spa is one of the best Russian banya's in Brooklyn.

Russian and Turkish Baths on East 10th Street in Manhattan

Editor's Rating:

Pros: Relatively cheap. Good location. Interesting from historical point of view.
In the mornings you may get some good steam.

Russian and Turkish Baths on East 10th Street is oldest Manhattan bathhouse built by Jewish immigrants in 1892. East Village location and a long history make this place one of the busiest banyas in New York. Heat rooms consist of "Russian sauna", "Swedish" and "Turkish" steam room. Or at least that's what the owners would like them to be called in quite an unorthodox classification. The gloomy "Russian sauna" has cold shower, bare cement walls and benches. This may be an authentic Jewish shvitz you would likely to find in Poland, but why call it Russian?
Instead of traditional Russian venik (a bundle of leafy twigs), a funny broom on a wooden stick is used for platza. You'll hardly find any Russians there - get a clue.

Turkish bath hammam is supposed to be octagon shaped with a platform in the middle of the room, with heated marble floor and masseur doing marvelous Turkish massage. Having a gym-like steam room with radiator heating is a weak excuse for calling the bathhouse Turkish.

On a bright side the
Ice pool is big and cold. There is a sun deck surrounded by residential buildings.
Extra services like Swedish/Russian Massage, Platza Oak Leaf, Dead Sea Salt Scrub, Black Mud Treatment and Soap Wash are available for a reasonable price. Some mornings are reserved for single sex bathing, so make sure to check the scheduler before going. The restaurant serves a regular Russian food with sensible prices. The service is open hearted, but unsophisticated.

The bathhouse is a unique New York / Jewish experience. It may be very close to what New Yorkers experienced 100 years ago. And from this point of view it is interesting. It is unfortunate though that in the eyes of many it misrepresents what Russian banya is.

Update:
The walls in Russian room were covered with stone. The presentation benefited, but historical aura is
gone and many bathers find stone not suitable for the steam room.

Think different - Okeanos Spa is not your ordinary banya. No kids running around, no guys swilling down the beer, no ma's with thermoses, no TV's with Russian channels, but just a few people enjoying themselves in a spa with a bit of Russian flavor. Andre Izrailov - a co owner of Okeanos Spa is a pleasure to deal with. And always classy Angela - the spa manager ensures that every client is treated like a celebrity, which can be not far from the truth - some Russian hockey players, ballet dancers and models are regulars there.

Besides the multitude of regular massages, wraps and facials Okeanos Spa features some exotic Russian treatments like "Caviar wrap", "Siberian hot stone massage" and a "heated buckwheat wrap scented with rich, exotic Russian spices". So exotic in fact that they are not even known in Russia.

The spa is geared towards men - from masculine stone and wood décor to the selection of treatments. Men can take care of themselves and still feel like men - they are in banya after all! There is also a cigar room that was probably meant to balance the healing effect of the spa. Okeanos has two small Russian steam rooms and a "Turkish" steam room, but unfortunately no pool or cold plunge.
The stoves are quite small though, so the steam rooms become rather cold and wet when place gets a lot of people like Saturday nights. If not overloaded, the stoves can make an enjoyable, not oppressive steam that doesn't burn, but thoroughly warms your body.

Okeanos is a lof of spa and very little banya and the owners emphasize that in pricing. It makes more sense to spend $120+ on platza with massage or facial and use the banya facilities with no additional fee, than to pay $90 just for an admission. Make sure to check the promotions
page to get the best deal. Okeanos does not serve food, but they do offer tea. And complimentary glass of champagne or a shot of vodka are available with every package. The staff is great - attentive, neat and polite.

Wall Street Bath and Spa formerly known as Spa 88 tries to position itself more as a club and a spa than just a Russian bath. Never mind that, they are still a great Russian bath. They have an authentic Russian room with a stove made with 16 tons of rock heated overnight to radiate intense heat. Fragrant steam room is available for those who like suffocating themselves. A nice Swiss sauna was recently replaced by a Jewish shvitz. Shvitz is similar to Russian banya, but in the same room where people sweat they douche themselves with buckets of cold water. Because of so much water, steam may becomes heavy and less pleasant. But since you can pour cold water at any moment, it seems to be preferred by non-Russian visitors.

Other facilities of Wall Street Bath include a refreshingly cold plunge, an impressively large though shallow pool, foamy Jacuzzi for chlorine-lovers, a spacious and usually empty "Turkish" steam room. The spa offers a variety of treatments like massage, facials, body wraps and waxing. The bathhouse was built in the late nineties and recently renovated, but still shows some signs of wear.

The resting area in Spa 88 has high ceilings and to some it may lack coziness. The place can get quite busy on weekends. The on-site restaurant serves various Russian foods with reasonable by Manhattan standards prices. Remember to keep track of those uncounted pots of tea though - the totals can quickly build up higher than anticipated. The service sometimes has an old-Russian school influence - lack of smiles and attention.

Sandoony USA has shamelessly stolen its name from the most recognizable banya in Moscow: Sanduny (Сандуны) - "Sandunov bath house"
. Obviously it has no connection whatsoever to its famous namesake and offers little to justify the relation.

Large shining one-story Sandoony USA building is hard to miss on a gloomy McDonald Avenue. And while it also offers a parking lot - you can surrender the hopes of parking there during the weekends. Better yet - don't go there on weekends or Friday night at all. Despite sparkling new Royal Palace
and the reopening of Mermaid Spa in Seagate
and Coney Island Banya
nearby, the Sandoony still gets full house on weekends (how many Russians are there in Brooklyn?!) First you'll wait on line to get in and get a locker. Then you will be aimlessly strolling around in hopes to find a table to put your staff and order some tea.

But let's give Sandoony the credit for most important part in banya - the steam room. The place nails it here - the stoves are huge (very similar to Fulton
) and the steam is top-notch. They call one Russian and another Finish for no reason whatsoever - they both are wet Russian steam rooms. "Turkish" steam room is boring, no scent, too low temperature and nobody goes there anyway. A wet lukewarm "shvitz" steam room is used primarily by older Russian women. They rub some exotic and smelly substances over their bodies with meticulous diligence - I have not found enough courage to stay there for too long. One-person cold plunge is a bit too shallow - but serves its purpose. Whirlpool stinks of chemicals (like everywhere else) - stay away. Medium size pool is great - not too much chlorine, a bit on a colder side - exactly what you'd want after a steam room.

The place is very liberal - most of the visitors bring their own thermoses and drink tea by the numerous tables around the pool. People are everywhere and that's fine if you are a hair-chested dude, but this may not be a comfortable place for a girl in bikinis. The place is the very opposite of romantic.

What is surprising for such a recently opened place is how used it looks in some areas. Locks you receive at the entrance look like they've been in a battle. Metal locker parts are rusted. The paint is peeling from steam room ceilings. Some showers are broken. Despite these shortcomings Sandoony looks clean thanks to a hardworking maintenance team.

Bottom line is: this is a great joint to relax with close friends with no pretensions as long as you leave your girlfriend home.

Royal Palace / Royal Bath - permanently closed

Attention! They appear to be closed with no announcement at the door and the phone is not answering.

Like Okeanos
, Body By Brooklyn is not a banya in an regular sense - it is primarily a spa with a Russian "river rock" steam room, cedar sauna and Turkish "aroma" steam room. A cold plunge and a hot tub make it even more banya than Okeanos
. Again it does not make sense to come there for a banya only. Better have a massage or facial and use the facilities for free.

This banya on Coney Island avenue seem to have a hard fate. It changes names and owners. After being suddenly closed down in 2007 with no announcements and phones disconnected, ex. Coney Island Banya has finally reopened after a year of renovations and now is being called Brooklyn Banya. The old banya has failed to win the hearts of the bath goers.

It has a huge marble and tile hall with a hot tub and cold pool and a large seating area. If one is not too lazy to take stairs to the roof, a sun desk is available there. Steam room and sauna are fine, if a bit boring.

Forest Hill spa is the only Russian Banya in Queens. It is often on Groupon, but if you come to it from Manhattan expecting a spa - big mistake. It is a very basic Russian Bath, not a spa.

A large pool dominates the main Forest Hills Spa area. A whirlpool and a cold plunge are next to it. A wooden corridor with benches for relaxation lead from the pool to steam rooms. The Russian steam room is what one would expect from a Russian bath: stone walls, wooden benches and stove in the center. A room and stove may be a little too small and it becomes apparent on weekends when it can get hard to get a good steam. A dry sauna and a Turkish room are boring - close to what you'd find in any gym. See video on the home page of ForestHillsSpa.com
- it will give you a good idea of the place.

Dining area is neatly separated from the pool by a glass wall. The area is positioned slightly above the pool, giving it a VIP lounge-like view. The restaurant is all wood brightly lit from the ceiling windows - very cozy. Russian food is a mixed bag, probably depents on who works in the kitchen this day. Get some Russian or (better) Czech beer in frozen glasses - this will put you in right mood.

The place is far from perfect: there's a patched crack on the stove, some misaligned tiles in a shower, sometimes loud and not-so-delicate people - local crowd is not that great. You should come here with a right mindset to enjoy it.

Euphora (former Emerald) Spa in Queens

Emerald Spa was closed in 2009 for renovations and has reopened in 2010 as Euphora Spa.

The reivew below is for Emerald Spa from 2009, not for the renovated Euphora spa.

Emerald Spa is conveniently located just across the Queensboro Bridge within a walking distance of all of the trains going to Queens. For folks living in Midtown it may be even closer than Wall Street Spa (Spa 88) in Downtown. But that would matter only if this banya would actually be worth going.

Emerald Spa has one gloomy and worn out Russian Steam Room, barely warm sauna like you'd find in any gym and a tiny "Turkish" steam room. The Russian Room's stove doors are permanently closed, so visitor's completely depend on an attendant to add steam through the sprinklers in the back. If platza master Misha is on site (Sat, Sun) - that's no problem, if he is not - you are at the mercy of an ever-absent attendant. Visitors ingenuously throw the water onto the closed stove and the walls. This doesn't add as much heat as it makes the room unpleasantly damp.

A cold ~15 feet long pool is one of the best things in Emerald Spa: if you managed to get some steam, it is very refreshing to relax there afterwards. Next to it is a whirlpool that seems to be quite popular among less fastidious bathers.
There's an ordinary bar and few chairs and tables next to the pool. A crowd is mixed with majority seem to come from the Southern parts of ex-USSR. They may have different banya customs, but one would certainly appreciate a juicy grilled kebab and other Southern delicacies on the menu.
Lockers and showers are relatively clean. Visitors get only two towels and no slippers.

*Reviews express the personal opinion of the reviewer. All reviews are independent unless explicitly marked as sponsored. This site is in no way affiliated with any of the reviewed baths. No guarantee implicit or explicit about information being correct is made. Please contact us
if errors are found.